Form for drying hosiery and the like



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FORM FOR DRYING HOSIBRY fm and um A..

May 2, 1933. J. w. DENNIS FORM FOR DRYNG HO-SIERY AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 R. n A 5 Ww, wif) m n w Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN W. DENNIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHILADEL- PI'IIA DRYING- vJSIACHINERY COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA FORM `FOR DRYING HOSIERY AND THE LIKE Application filed February 16, 1929.

This invention relates to forms useful in drying and shaping hosiery and the like, and is concerned more particularly with drying forms heated by electricity.

In the ordinary construction of a drying form of the specific kind referred to, the heat isfurnished by a coil within the body of the form, said coil being connected to a power line supplying current at a definite voltage to Ythe end that the temperature is always maintained constant. While the temperature under these conditions may be suitable say to the drying of heavier grades of hosiery; it may `on the other hand be excessive for hosiery of the lighter weights, for example, line gage silk stockings such as now extensively worn, and attended by drying of the fabric in spots before the stockings can be completely mounted on the form with consequent marring of the finish.

In-the main, my invention is directed toward overcoming the above drawback; and this desideratum I attain through provisions whereby the entire coil in the form or different sections thereof can be utilized at will with corresponding variation in the heating effect.

Other obj ects and attendant advantages of this invention will appear from the detailed description vhereinafter of the typical embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, whereof Fig. I is a fragmentary view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing my improved drying form.

Fig. II is a vertical section through the form, taken as indicated by the arrows II-II in I.

Fig. III is a wiring diagram showing the electric connections of the heating coil.

Figs. IV and V are views, similar to Figs. I and II, showing an alternative embodiment of my invention.v

Referring first to Figs. I and II of the drawings, the body portion of the drying form vis designated comprehensively by the -numeral 10; and while the same is illustrated only in part, it is, of course, to be understood as having the profile or configuration, Vdesired in the article which is to be shaped and dried. After more or less com- Serial No. 340,580.

mon practice, the body portion 10 is constructed from sheet metal with double side walls 11 which are spaced by a narrow perimetric strip 12; the several parts being Vsecured together by suitably allocated screws or rivets 13. In order to function as a creasing edge after the manner well understood in this art, the perimetric strip 12 has slight proj ecttion beyond the side wall plates 11, as at 14 in Fig. I.

For convenience in assembling and attaching it to the bottom of the body portion 10, the basal portion 15 is split in the plane of the form, i. e. made in two sections 15a, 15b

which are secured by means of clamp bolt-s that they are beveled to effectively shed any y drip water running down from the wet artin cles as they are drawn over the body portion 10 in preparation for drying. That is to say, the top edges of the base sections 15a, 15b are bevelled downward and outward away from their fluid tight joints with the sides of the body where they extend into the base, and are also sloped transversely of the form, to assist in shedding water away from the oints. Also, the section 15b has a depending skirt over its joint with the lower portion of the base section 15a. The depending tubular supporting stem 2O of the form is secured in an axially bored boss 21 of the basal component 15a with formation of a continuous passage into the hollow 19 for a conductor cable or cord 22 whereby the electric current is carried into the form.

Within the coextensive interval between the side plates 11 of the body portion 10 is placed a core piece 25 which in practice is fashioned from sheet asbestos or the like to the same configuration as the form itself, but proportioned so as to clear the edge strip 12 all around by a substantial margin, as clearly shown in Fig. I. This core piece 25 serves l 0 as the mounting for a coil 26 relied upon for heating the form, said coil being preferably of flat strip wire. In constructing the coil 26 I double a suitable length of the wire, and then proceed to wrap the same about the core piece 25, exercising care to ensure uniformity in the spacing of the doubled ends and so regulating the pitch that the turns are distributed throughout the body of the form; in the case of stocking drying forms throughout the length of the leg and foot. As a consequence of this procedure, it will be seen that the coil 26 is provided with two separate sets or turns of convolutions, the convolutions of one set alternating with those of the other in a manner manifest from Fig. I. Thus there are, in effect, two serial coils, 26a, 261) related to one another like the threads of a double screw. Short circuiting of the coil 26 is prevented through insertion, between it and the side walls 11 of the body portion 10, of sheet insulation 27 (Fig. II) which may be of mica, fibre or any other suitable di-electric material.

To enable utilization of either the entire coil 26 or different sections thereof with corresponding variation in the heating eieet, I lead olf taps 28, 29 (in the present instance two) from points P, P at spaced intervals along one set of the convolutions for convenience, the series 26a. These taps 28, 29, as well as the ends 30, 31 of the coil 26, I thread down into the basal portion 15 of the form and connect individually and, respectively, to contact terminals 32, 33, 34 and 35' of a switch 36, occupying the hollow 19. As shown, the contact terminals 32-34 are in the form of screw studs, and arranged, with an additional terminal screw 37 to which the current conductor 22a of the cable 22 is connected, as an annular series in a disk of insulation 36, the other current conductor 22h of said cable being connected to the stud 35. Referring to Fig. II, the insulatory block 36 is set into that portion of the recess 19 afforded by the basal component 15a; and electric insulation of the several contact studs 32-35 is assured through interplacement of a sheet of insulation at 38. A second disk of insulation 39 is fitted into that part of the cavity 19 afforded by the basal section 15b, and centrally bored for registry with a coaxial insulate bushing 4() that extends through a lateral opening 41 in said basal section 15b and provides journal support for a shaft 42. To the inner end of the shaft 42 is secured a switch member 43 upon the hub of which bears a spring contact. 44 reaching up from the stud 37. By means of a manipulating knob 45 on the outer end of the shaft 42, the switch member 43 may be turned into registry selectively with any of the contact terminals 32-34; the extent of rotation in opposite directions being limited through cooperation of a pointer 46 on the shaft with stops 47, 48 projecting from the side of the basal component 15b. The several connections just described will be readily understood from the diagram of Fig. III, wherein the heating coil 26 is represented as a. continuous loop and the sides out of which the two sets of convolutions are formed by the reference numerals 26a, 26b, which designate said convolutions in the other illustrations. From study of the diagram it will be apparent that with the switch member 43 in the position shown, the section of the side 26a of the coil 26 between the point Pand the stud 34 will be cut out of the circuit. Again, when the switch member 43 is brought into registry with the stud 33, the section of the side 26a of the coil 26 between the point P and the stud 34 will be similarly cut out. It is here important to note that notwithstanding shortening of the e'ective length of the coil 26 in D35 this manner, the areas of the form comprehended by the taps 28, 29 are not totally robbed of heat: since by virtue of the described construction and arrangement of said coil, the convolutions 265 are left intact and 5o in circuit over such areas.

In the modified embodiment of my invention, shown in Figs. IV and V, a switch is dispensed with, and provisions are made for the use of a conventional type of socket plu to enable selectivity as between the entire co1 26 and sections thereof for variation in the heating effect. Thus the taps 28 and 29 of the coil 26 are connected to individual terminal studs 3292, 33a: and the coil ends to similar all projection exteriorily to serve as pins for ap- @lo plication of the socket plug. By selective bridging of the stud pin 35m with the other stud pins 32m-34:1: by the socket plug, either the whole coil 26 or sections thereof may be utilized for heating exactly as in the first embodiment.

The number of coil taps may of course be increased indefinitely in accordance with the exi gencies of practice; while my invention is not to be considered as limited to forms for drying and shaping hosiery alone, since it may obviously be employed with equal advantages in forms for drying other textile manufactures such as knit gloves, underwear, sweat ers, etc.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An electrically heated hosiery-drying form containing a heating device consisting Y of a doubled length of wire wrapped about o a sheet core piece to provide serial coils extending side by side, with their convolutions in alternation, substantially throughout the form, and means for cutting-out a portion of one of the coils while leaving the corresponding portion of another coil in circuit, so as to change the heating effect without totally robbing any portion of the form of its share of the heat.

2. An electrically heated hosiery-drying form containing a heating device consisting of a suitable length of doubled iat strip Wire wrapped about a sheet core to provide evenly pitched serial coils extending side by side, with their convolutions in alternation, substantially throughout the form, means for passing current through said coils, and a plurality of taps connected to various points along one of the coils for varying the amount thereof in circuit, so as to change the heating effect without totally robbing any portion of the form of its share of the heat.

3. An electrically heated hosiery-drying form comprising a thin metal body containing heating coils, a base comprising sections at opposite sides of said body, insulative packing between said sections and the sides of said body where they extend into the base, and a supporting stem for the form projecting from a bored boss integral with one of the base sections and in axial alignment with the body of the form.

4. An electrically heated hosiery-drying form comprising a thin metal body containing heating coils, a base comprising a section carrying a supporting stem in axial alignment with the form and overlapping the lower end of the body at one side, and another section clamping the body to the first mentioned section and provided with a depending skirt over its joint with the portion of the other section whence said stem projects.

5. An electrically heated hosiery-drying form comprising a thin metal body containing heating coils; a base comprising sections secured with fluid tight joints against opposite sides of the body and having their edges adjacent the latter bevelled and sloped downward and outward therefrom so as to shed water away from the joints, and a supporting stem for the form projecting from a bored boss integral with one of the base sections and in axial alignment with the body of the form.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 9th day of January, 1929.

JOHN W. DENNIS. 

